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Will access to Capital, Connections, and Coaching help your venture succeed?

Are you the founder or co-founder of an education venture in New Orleans, New York City, Oakland, or Chicago?

Do you have the vision, mission, and drive to fix society's education issues?

If your answer is YES to these questions, then you should apply to the Camelback Ventures Fellowship today!

Our mission is to create a diverse social innovation ecosystem that leverages the genius of all participants. We do this by identifying new leaders with bold ideas and providing them the resources necessary to maximize their impact.

Camelback Venture’s Fellows Program offers seed-funding and support to new leaders with promising ideas, and empowers them to enact change within their communities. This year we anticipate that about 10% of applicants will ultimately be awarded a Fellowship.

During the nine-month program, Fellows receive $5,000 matching grant and the opportunity for up to $40,000 in additional investment (capital). Fellows receive 1:1 strategy coaching and participate in leadership development sessions developed in partnership with City Year (coaching). Fellows also engage in a summit series and other network opportunities to deepen their relationships with tech talent, investors and other partners (connections).

We believe that social ventures founded by local entrepreneurs based in their community are more likely to create lasting impact within their community. Therefore, we prioritize local entrepreneurs, or individuals who are focused on creating educational and economic opportunities within their own cities, neighborhoods, schools and communities. Because our target communities are primarily communities of color, therefore many of our initiatives are founded by entrepreneurs of color.

Camelback Ventures is currently seeking applicants for its 2015 entrepreneurial fellowship. Applications are open on January 7, 2015.

In order to be eligible for selection a candidate must:

Be a founder or co-founder of an early-stage venture with core operations based in either New York City, New Orleans, Chicago, or Oakland (We are open to supporting 1 -3 entrepreneurs outside of these regions)

Have a mission and vision focused on social impact within the education sector (We are prioritizing STEM, Early Literacy and Human Capital ventures)

Be 18 years of age or older

Be willing to travel 3 times a year for entrepreneurial summits

The application will be evaluated on a rolling basis and will close on January 23, 2015 at 11:59PM EST.

To complete the application you can either fill out the questions below OR submit a hosted link (e.g., Dropbox) where we can download your application.

Guidance: This is your opportunity to help us understand your venture. When we say mission we mean what is your venture charged to do. And when we say vision we mean when you look out in the future what will the world look like because of your work. There are many problems to solve. What specific problem are you solving and for whom? Make us feel like the problem you are solving is an aspirin (something we really need), not just a vitamin (nice, but not necessary). Lastly, people use your product or program so let us know how it works from their perspective. We don’t evaluate on writing style, but we’re human. So the easier it is to read the better we digest your answers.

Short Answer:

What is your venture’s mission and vision? (50 words)

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What problem is your venture seeking to solve? Use evidence to explain the magnitude of the problem. (100 words)

Guidance: We all bring a piece of ourselves to our venture. It is, in part, what makes founding a new thing nerve-racking. Like an artist, we share something within us and hope that it is well received. Help us understand what it is in your background— whether that is through your upbringing or a school or work experience—that influences the idea for your venture.

Guidance: Starting something is hard. And as your venture grows it actually becomes more than an idea, but an entity separate from you. Help us understand a couple times in your life when you voluntarily put the goals of a team or cause before your own goals.

Describe two examples of when you put aside your personal ambition for the success of a team or cause. Explain the impact your selfless ambition had on the success. (300 words)

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Guidance: Leading a startup means managing through uncertainty— things that are out of your control and that you cannot forecast. Help us to understand a time in a work or school setting where you were confronted with uncertainty. What was the uncertainty? What did you do before the uncertainty arose? What did you do when confronted with the uncertainty? How did you make it through the uncertainty?

Describe your leadership during a time of great uncertainty and ambiguity and your path forward. (350 words)

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As mentioned in the directions, you can either submit your application by answering the questions in this form OR you may send us a hosted link (like Dropbox). If you have any direct questions please reach out to Britni Stinson, Director of Venture Selection, at Britni@Camelbackventures.org.